Newspaper Page Text
www.themaroontiger.com
November 16 - 22 2011
OPINIONS
Death to the Panel
Discussion
Anthony Galloway Jr.
Staff Writer
agallowayj r@yahoo. com
M y spirit has grown in
credibly fatigued by the
number of panel discussions
and town hall style meetings
held here in the Atlanta Uni
versity Center. Though to be
clear, it is not the meeting style
itself that I am disappointed
in, rather more so the manner
in which they are conducted.
Since my freshman year
I have been to discussions
covering topics ranging from
manhood to relationships,
politics, social consciousness,
the culture of Morehouse,
and gender relations. A few of
them have been quite inspir
ing and thought provoking.
Most however have been less
than satisfying.
It is disconcerting that here
at Morehouse and Spelman
Colleges, we cannot seem to
get past discussing shallow
and non-intellectual subjects.
I am personally tired of dis
cussing the word “nigger”
and I am tired of debunking
the myths about AUC insti
tutions. “Light Skin vs Dark
Skin,” “Why Girls Always Go
For the Bad Boy,” “Why Black
Women Are Single,” “Where
Have All the Chivalrous Men
Gone,” these conversations
are based on folklore and in
accurate information. They
really only promote and per
petuate the myths about Afri
can-American society.
These conversations nev
er have any depth. They are
based on the inaccurate statis
tics promoted by the media.
Panelists spend the entire dis
cussion debating really insig
nificant and false ideas instead
of ever getting to the meat of
the subject. An attempt to dis
cuss pathologies only ends up
pathological.
Solutions are almost never
discussed. As is typical here at
Morehouse, everyone wants
to stand up, be a leader, and
speak out on an issue. How
ever, the men of Morehouse
never get past speaking about
something. Everyone is ea
ger to let their voice be heard
about the problem but rarely
does anyone discuss solutions.
I find myself heavily ques
tioning the selection and
screening process of panelists.
I wonder what qualifies cer
tain panelists to be speaking
on an issue as if they represent
the entire school, race, age
group, or gender. More than
often it seems like they are
chosen simply because they
are outspoken campus celeb
rities, not because they are
people who are experienced
and knowledgeable of the
subject. What makes me per
sonally upset is when some
one speaks on behalf of an
aforementioned group I may
belong to and completely mis
represents me by representing
their personal preferences on
behalf of the entire group.
I have been to panels where
the host or moderator was
completely incompetent and
had no real insight on the
conversation they were lead
ing. It is my opinion that
hosts should be knowledge
able of the discussion subject.
Moderators should be impar
tial and should only guide the
discussion with questions; not
participate in the actual de
bate.
I bring up these problem
not because I want to bash the
programs held by student or
ganizations, but because I ex
pect and therefore want bet
ter. I want events to start on
time; I want audience mem
bers not to show up intoxicat
ed and looking for attention;
and most importantly, I want
to be fed intellectually.
The AUC could potentially
be a cradle for the greatest
minds of the world, but we
tend not to nurture that with
our less than stimulating con
versations. I propose that in
order to enrich our intellec
tual sessions, we should have
guest speakers or panelists
who are knowledgeable and
experienced. Lets not only
discuss shallow and mythi
cal aspects of social issues,
but real and factual elements
of society. More importantly,
lets not just talk about a prob
lem, let’s find a solution and
act on it.
Bigger Than Politics...
Campus leadership is more than just a title
Jared Loggins
Contributing Writer
jared.loggins@yahoo.com
I n 1947, Martin Luther King
Jr., then a junior here at
Morehouse College, wrote an
impassioned and concerned
letter to his brothers which
was published in The Maroon
Tiger later that fall. King,
infuriated by what he saw as
misguided motives regarding
why Black men pursue higher
education, wrote that most of
the “brethren” think that edu
cation should equip them with
the proper instruments of ex
ploitation so that they can for
ever trample over the masses.
King alluded to a selfishness
and self interest that seems to
have infiltrated many facets
here at Morehouse; including
leadership.
Many men over the years
have chosen to pursue leader
ship positions here at More
house because it looks good
on a resume. Others choose
to pursue political leader
ship because someone along
the way convinced them that
serving in such a capacity puts
you on the fast track to SGA
President.
It has become increasingly
obvious in my short time at
this institution that many
choose to lead the masses
but know little about what
the masses desire. From my
perspective, self-gain is at the
root of all things wrong with
leadership here at Morehouse
College. Leaders are more in
terested in signing their name
on a particular piece of legis
lation or impeaching some
one they have personal dis
agreements with than they are
about serving their brothers.
Here at Morehouse, many
leaders incorrectly corre
late popularity with success.
Although there is nothing
wrong with having a desire to
be popular, any good leader
must make the moral decision
to do what is right despite
popularity. There is nothing
wrong with passion, but as
leaders our objective must be
to have passion for the right
reasons and the competence
and sound judgment to make
good decisions.
Next school year, some of
our brothers will not be here,
not because they partied too
hard or didn’t study enough,
but because they did not have
the resources to continue
their matriculation. Be pas
sionate on these brothers’ be
half; be passionate for ending
bias and stereotypes against
our homosexual brothers, and
be passionate for the students
struggling inside and outside
the classroom.
Our brothers need leaders
who are willing to put aside
political posturing and bick
ering and fight for their cause.
It is time we all have a self-
evaluation of why we chose to
run for office. It is imperative
that we strive to be leaders
who are less concerned about
re-election and more con
cerned about increased re
tention, less concerned about
personal differences and more
concerned about a common
goal, less concerned about
our own future and more con
cerned about the futures of
our brothers and our beloved
institution.
As leaders, we must be will
ing to come down from the
mountain, go down into the
valley, and be the voices of
the unheard. As elected mem
bers of our classes and student
body, it is our duty to listen
and act on the voices and de
mands of our brothers. From
NSO to graduation day, we
must live out the meaning of
“Dear Old Morehouse” and
work toward binding each
other into ties more brotherly.
If we don’t become more
vigilant of the dangers in
playing political games with
our brothers, it will be our
fault when our brothers are
unable to continue matricula
tion at Morehouse College. If
we are to live by the creed, “I
Am My Brother’s Keeper,” we
must bear the burdens and re
sponsibilities entrusted to us
by that creed.
jack Dawson
Sole Survivor
.com
week?
3. Has you GRIND been enough to make the spring line?
4. Or do you need more time?
5. Speaking of lines, aren’t these pretty boy HOPEFULS doing a little much?
6. Are bar-b-qs and late night trips to the park how we get on these days?
7. Is she lying about her “BOO” being on the ape line?
8. Is she that anxious to claim that phirst PHAM love?
9. How many of them are on the line?
10. Why are their PROPHYTES going ham?
11. Did he really violate HIS prophyte’s girl?
12. Are things getting a little ROUGH in the rho?
13. Is there really beef among the elephant chapters?
14. Which one got their sh#% stolen?
17. When is the house going to dismiss the ones that need to be dismissed?
18. How was BOBBY FRANK'S evaluation?
19. He’s not next, is he?
20. Was he iLegally Prowling on caMpus?
Got questions? Submit them anonymously to mtiger20questions@gmail.com
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